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0. B. VAN ARSDALE. MIUA CUTTER AND GAGE.

No. 459,773; Patented Sept. 22, 1891. I

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. VAN ARSDALE, OF SYDENHAM, CANADA.

MICA CUTTER AND GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,773, dated September 22, 1891.

Application filed July 8, 1891. Serial No. 398,767. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. VAN ARS- DALE, of Sydenham, in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mica Cutters and Gages; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my improved cutter and gage. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, showing the knife raised in position to receive the sheet of mica. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the gage inverted and detached from the cutter, and Fig. 5 is a diagram of one of the gage-fences.

My invention has for its object to combine with a cutter a gage by which sheets of mica irregular in shape may be trimmed to rectangular form with the least Waste of material.

My invention consists of a mica-cutter having shears and provided with an adjustable gage or fence constructed as hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

A is the base or stand of the cutter, in which base are fixed standards B B, supporting the lower stationary blade C and the movable blade D, both blades hinged together near one end, whereby a shear cut Will be performed when the movable blade is pressed down by a handle E at the free end, and said handle preferably curves downward and outward, or is approximately S shaped, the downward curve permitting unobstructed vision in cutting the sheets of mica and being in the bestposition to obtain ease of manual power.

F is the bracket portion of the gage, which is secured endwise to the stationary blade or other fixture at right angles thereto by bolts Gor other means. The bracket projects horizontally from the cutter and is provided with two parallel longitudinal slots H H, and intermediately of said slots is secured a partition J,which divides the gage longitudinally.

K K are step-by-step fences, one on each side of the partition and supported on the bracket flatwise, and they consist of plates of uniform width, but diminishing in length, each plate provided with a longitudinal slot M, and said plates are placed one on top of another in graduated order and adjustable endwise to increase or diminish the scale or distances from the cutting-blades. The end of each plate gages the size after two straight sides have been cut in an arbitrary manner, each plate constituting a step-by-step gage, and the plates of each fence are collectively held by clamping-screws N, passing through the coinciding slots of the plates and bracket, and said screw is provided with a thumb-nut O, screwing against the under side of the bracket to bind the plates firmly together. The sheet of mica is squared by first cutting arbitrarily one straight side, then placing said side against the partition and cutting the fol-' lowing side to the best advantage, then placing the angle to the proper scale or gage of the fence and cutting the third side, and in like manner cutting the fourth side. The sheet of 'micais represented in Fig. 1 in dotted lines.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with the cutter having a stationary blade 0 and movable blade D, hinged together near one end, of a cuttergage secured endwise to the cutter and at right angles to the blades, said gage consisting of the bracket F, having longitudinal parallel slots H H, and a partition J, intervening said slots, and an adjustable fence K on opposite sides of the partition, each fence consisting of a series of plates laid one on top of another and diminishing in length upwardly, each plate having a longitudinal slot M, coinciding with the slot in the bracket, and held adj ustably by a clamping-screw N, as set forth.

2. A gage for attachment to mica-cutters, said gage consisting of the bracket F, having longitudinal parallel slots H H, and partition J intervening said slots, adjustable fences K K, one on each side of the partition, each fence composed of a series of fiat plates of uniform width and diminishing in length, supported one upon the other in graduated series and having corresponding slots M, agreeing'with the slot in the bracket, and held adj ustably bya clamping-screw N, as set forth.

CHARLES B. VAN ARSDALE.

\Vitnesses:

ALBERT PLAKSLEE, KENNETH J AQUITH. 

